But in the case of Jeff Bridges — who played the Pabst Theater on Saturday with his Americana band the Abiders (the name's a reference to the famous "The Dude abides" line from Bridges' film "The Big Lebowski") — this actor with a band is more welcome than, say, Russell Crowe & the Ordinary Fear of God or Keanu Reeves in Dogstar. That's because Bridges actually won an Oscar playing an awe-inspiring but commercially struggling and alcoholic country singer in 2009's "Crazy Heart."| Aug. 24, 2014»Read Full Article

Another reason the Emmys may have lost their luster with audiences is the Television Academy's decision to split the awards ceremony over two weekends.

Ninety-seven awards were given out at a ceremony — which wasn't televised — Aug. 16, at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. HBO led with 15 awards, with NBC taking home 10. | Aug. 23, 2014»Read Full Article

Asked about the secret to adapting "Dial M for Murder" — the wildly successful play that became the first of three movies he'd make with Grace Kelly — Alfred Hitchcock insisted that one simply shoots such a script rather than opening it out. Playwright Frederick Knott never leaves the living room of a London flat; excepting a few brief scenes, neither does Hitchcock in his film.

The resulting sense of claustrophobia is even more apparent when "Dial M" unfolds on the small stage in the Brumder Mansion basement, where a just-opened production by Triumvirate Theatricals showcases another strong performance from Randall T. Anderson, fresh from his triumph as the lead in Off the Wall Theatre's production of "Rope."| Aug. 23, 2014»Read Full Article

Remember when you could stand on Bradford Beach and see a large rock labeled "Love" in the distance? Or when people did the daily crossword puzzle in the Milwaukee Journal's "Green Sheet"? Or how about when music lovers browsed Atomic Records before seeing a show at The Stone Toad?

It used to be Mancino’s Grinders and Pizza; with new owners, the restaurant now is called GrinderVille Grinders and Pizza, W186-N9515 Bancroft Drive in Menomonee Falls, and its grand opening is this weekend.

The new owners, Justin and Laura Poenitsch of Richfield, have added calzones to the menu of baked sub sandwiches and pizzas at the counter-service restaurant. | Aug. 23, 2014»Read Full Blog Post